1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for searching a device on network, particularly to a device search system for displaying a searched device and position information.
2. Related Background Art
There has been heretofore provided, for example, a so-called directory service such as lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) to efficiently find various resources such as a printer, a server, and a scanner (hereinafter also referred to as “device”) on network, and utilize the resources. The directory service functions as a telephone directory concerning so-called network, and is a service for managing and providing various information.
Therefore, by utilizing the directory service and searching the device connected to the network, a list of network addresses of usable devices on the network can be obtained.
Additionally, the definitions in the LDAP are described in RFC1777 issued by IETF.
However, in the synopsis list, the comprehensible position information of the device for use cannot be obtained.
For example, for a network printer as the device, a system has been demanded in which a user is notified of device hierarchical location information such as “the place of the printer closest to one's place on the floor” and “the place of the printer able to output a color image in the building” in a comprehensible manner.
Furthermore, another system has been demanded in which when an information processor on network is requested to execute printing or the like, the user is notified of information such as the place of the printer for the printing, the end state of one's requested printing, and the occurrence of errors such as jam and sheet shortage in the comprehensible manner.
Additionally, further system has been demanded in which the user is notified of the current status of the device (operation status, error occurrence status, and the like) in the comprehensible manner.